Football trophy



Feb. 1, 1966 a. A. LEVY 3,231,993

FOOTBALL .TROPHY Filed March 13, 1964 GEO/'9 A- INVENTOK United States.Patent 3,231,993 FOOTBALL TROPHY George A. Levy, 3132 Waverly Park,Tampa, Fla. Filed Mar. 13, 1964, Ser. No. 351,654 3 Claims. (Cl. 40-68)The present invention relates, broadly classified to an ornamentalportable trophy, more particularly, to an authentic oblate-ellipsoidalfootball the surface of which is autographed,and an attractive standwhich is functionally designed and structurally adapted to effectuallypresent and display the football.

As will be evident after havingconsidered the general statementconcerning the subject matter involved, the football is genuine,inflated and only different from other conventional footballs in thatthe signatures and other written indicia appearing thereon is original.It follows therefore that the present invention is regarded. as anadvance in the art in that the football is cradled and accordinglyretentively held in an attractive manner in a well designedand balancedstand.

In carrying out a preferred embodiment of the invention the standcomprises a horizontal panel constituting a base and having flat orplanar top and bottom surfaces. The panel is preferably, but notnecessarily, rectangular in plan and is provided at its respectivetransverse ends with a pair of secondary or auxiliary panels. Thesepanels are duplicates of each other and have opposed inwardly disposedsurfaces the upper central portions of which are provided with recesses.These recesses provide appropriate pockets. The pockets are preferablycircular and of a depth and dimension for retentive reception of thecooperating tapering-ends of the associated football.

In keeping with the principles of the invention the suspending uprightsof the football are such in construction that they clampingly grip andhold the ball but never theless permit a viewer or observer to grip andturn the ball by hand in order to inspect all of the signatures andwritten comments, if any, which were inscribed on the footbal by playersor persons of renown.

More explicitly the auxiliary panels or uprights resemble spaced-apartparallel book ends. However and by preference these uprights have loweredge portions seated firmly atop the transverse ends of the base anddetachably bolted in place thereon.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent residein the details of construction and operationas more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numeralsrefer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of a trophy (football and stand)constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a bottom plan view on a smaller scale and with one endportion appearing in section;

FIGURE 3 is a section on the vertical section line 33 of FIGURE 1 withthe football omitted; and

FIGURE 4 is a view fragmentary in type which is presented in section andelevation and is taken approximately on the plane of the section line4--4 of FIGURE 2.

With reference now to the illustrative, but not restrictive figures ofthe drawing it will be seen that the trophy considered as an entitycomprises a football 6 and a supporting, cradling and displaying stand 8therefor.

The football, in accordance with the inventive concept will be a genuineor authentic inflated football and of standard construction and size.Ordinarily and before the football is clampingly cradled and suspendedin the stand its surface or cover is covered, as it were, with auto-3,231,993 Patented Feb. 1, 1966' graphs and comments, if desired, ofplayers and persons of importance and representing an event ofsignificance to the trophy owner. It may well be mentioned here that theoveral inventive concept takes into account currently popularautographing practices. However, the incentive which gave rise to theinstant effort had to do with recognition of outstanding sports eventsand, for example, those which are nationally significant bowl games andevents in that category of importance. Accordingly, the football isoutstanding in that it displays autographs of members of the respectiveteams participating in an eventful game.

The stand comprises three principal component parts, namely, ahorizontal portable base 10 and left and right rigidly attached uprights12 and 14, respectively. More specifically the base comprises arectangular panel, preferably a solid nicely finished walnut panelhaving flat or planar top and bottom surfaces 16 and 18 (FIG. 3), havinga forward longitudinal marginal side 20 and suitably chamfered orotherwise prepared surfaces 22. Each upright comprises a walnut or anequivalent panel and these panels are alike in construction and areproportional with the transverse cross-sectional dimension of the baseas illustrated in FIG. 3. The bottom marginal edge 24 of each panel isplanar and fits firmly atop the surface 16 of the main base panel. Morespecifically each auxiliary panel (12 or 14 as the case may be) isdisposed so that it extends transversely across the surface 16 and inorder that the projecting headed end of a stud or pin 26 can be fittedand retained in a vertical socket 23 (FIG. 4) provided therefor. Alarger stud is also provided and has a tapering screw-threaded endportion 30 screwed into the bottom portion of the panel, the lowerscrew-threaded end 32 projecting below the panel bottom 24 and passingthrough a bore 34 which is provided therefor and into a counterbore 36which serves to accommodate an assembling washer and nut 38. Thus thesetwo cooperating members or studs function to locate the auxiliary paneland to secure it firmly atop the cooperating end portion of the mainbase panel 10. The central interior side or surface 40 of each panel isprovided with a circular or an equivalent recess 42 which constitutes apocket for reception and retention of the tapering end portion of thefootball 6 in the manner shown. It will be obvious that the severalpanels 10, 12 and 14 are precision made and assembled so that when thefootball 6 is located between the surfaces 40 and the football is fullyinflated the end portions, being seated in the pockets 42, serves tocradle the football betwen the uprights in a well balanced manner as isevident from FIGURE 1.

With reference again to FIG. 1 it will be seen that the uprights 12 and14 resemble a pair of book ends wherein the latter are fixedly joined tocooperating transverse end portions of a proportionally made base. It isalso a matter of moment to point out that the football 6 is clamped withrequisite nicety between the pocketed portions 42 of the end uprights 12and 14, this in a manner to insure adequate support for the football butat the same time to permit one to catch hold of the ball and to turn itabout its lengthwise axis in a manner to examine all signatures or otherwritten indicia appearing thereon.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination, an inflated authentic oblate-ellipsoidal footballconstituting a trophy, and a holding and displaying stand for saidfootball, said stand embodying a base, said base comprising afiat-bottomed portable horizontally elongated panel and a pair ofuprights comprising auxiliary panels mounted on the respectivetransverse end portions of the top side of said base panel and risingvertically therefrom in. spaced apart parallel relationship, saidauxiliary panels having opposed planarinwardly facing surfaces havingopposed aligned recesses defining seating pockets, said ball havingsignificant axially aligned end portions retentively seated in theirrespective pockets, whereby said football is clampingly cradled andsuspended between said upright panels in a plane above the top side ofsaid base panel.

2. In combination, an inflated regulation oblate-ellipsoidalauthentically autographed football constituting and providing a trophy,and a holding and displaying stand for said football comprising ahorizontally elongated base panel having fiat top and bottom surfaces,2. pair of complemental uprights each comprising a panel auxiliary tothe base panel and having a flat bottom seated firmly and extendingtransversely across a transverse end portion of the top of saidfirst-named panel, means separably but securely fastening the auxiliarypanels to the base panel, said auxiliary panels having opposed spacedparallel planar surfaces disposed inwardly and facing each other andeach inwardly facing surface having its upper median por tion providedwith a generally circular ball-end seating pocket, said ball havingaxially aligned end portions and said end portions being retentively butremovably seated in .their respective pockets whereby to cradle the ballcomprises bolt and nut means, the bolt being carried by the auxiliarypanel having a screw-threaded nut-equipped end cooperable with boresprovided therefor in an aligned portion of said base panel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,512,314 10/1924Rutter 211-14 1,514,529 11/1924 Johnston 211-14 X 1,608,361 11/ 1926Boettcher 273-55 1,744,647 1/ 1930 Lamar -68 1,951,894 3/1934 Ziebarth211-14 2,410,328 10/1946 Agamite 242-55.2 2,517,809 8/ 1950 Tarzian 242-.2 2,551,354 5/1951 Wasilevich 248- X 2,828,563 4/1958 Guess 40-682,962,156 11/1960 Adams 211-164 3,087,726 4/1963 Pogue 273-55 EUGENE R.CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Examiner.

ROBERT P. SEITTER, WILLIAM GRIEB,

Assistant Examiners.

1. IN COMBINATION, AN INFLATED AUTHENTIC OBLATE-ELLIPSOIDAL FOOTBALLCONSTITUTING A TROPHY, AND A HOLDING AND DISPLAYING STAND FOR SAIDFOOTBALL, SAID STAND EMBODYING A BASE, SAID BASE COMPRISING AFLAT-BOTTOMED PORTABLE HORIZONTALLY ELONGATED PANEL AND A PAIR OFUPRIGHTS COMPRISING AUXILIARY PANELS MOUNTED ON THE RESPECTIVETRANSVERSE END PORTIONS OF THE TOP SIDE OF SAID BASE PANEL AND RISINGVERTICALLY THEREFROM IN SPACED APART PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP, SAIDAUXILIARY PANELS HAVING OPPOSED PLANAR INWARDLY FACING SURFACES HAVINGOPPOSED ALIGNED RECESSES DEFINING SEATING POCKETS, SAID BALL HAVINGSIGNIFICANT AXIALLY ALIGNED END PORTIONS RETENTIVELY SEATED IN THEIRRESPECTIVE POCKETS, WHEREBY SAID FOOTBALL IS CLAMPINGLY CRADLED ANDSUSPENDED BETWEEN SAID UPRIGHT PANELS IN A PLANE ABOVE THE TOP SIDE OFSAID BASE PANEL.